Cable connector for storage batteries and the like



July 5, 1949. D. VAN SQUIRES I 2,475,415

CABLE CONNECTOR FOR STORAGE BATTERIES AND THE LIKE Filed April 15, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

BY WRM W Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED CABLE CONNECTOR FOR STORAGE BATTERIES AND THE LIKE Donald Van Squires, Mount Gilead, Ohio Application April 15, 1948, Serial No. 21,223

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to connectors, and more particularly to connectors for clamping a cable to the terminal post of an electric battery, such as a conventional automobile storage battery.

The common type of connector now in almost universal use consists of a split rin secured to one end of a cable and provided with a pair of lugs, one on each side of the split, with registering perforations passing a bolt on which a nut is threaded. The disadvantages of such connectors are well known and need not be reviewed. Attempts have been made to improve the standard construction, but so far as I am aware all such attempts at improvement have had inherent disadvantages and none has come into any extensive use.

A primary object of this invention is generally to improve the bolt and nut type connector so as to produce a connector which can readily be applied and removed with a minimum of labor and inconvenience, by hand or by the use of very simple tools.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a battery terminal post clamp which will be of simple and inexpensive construction so as to be commercially competitive with the standard bolt and nut device, and to make such a connector in a form which will be thoroughly durable, foolproof and unfailingly operative to make a secure mechanical and electrical connection which is nevertheless instantly releasable when desired.

Another object is to provide a clamping element combined with and mounted on a postengaging member in such a way as to be constantly captive thereon, so as to avoid the possibility of separation and loss.

Other objects and advantages will be evident from the following description of the invention embodied in a particular form which has been thoroughly tested in actual use and found to give complete satisfaction so that it is at present preferred.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a battery terminal post showing the connector provided by the present invention clamped thereon;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the assembly shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a lengthwise cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the ring element of the connector; and

Fig. 6 is an end elevational view of the clamping sleeve element of the connector.

Generally speaking, the invention comprises a split ring for encircling the terminal post, provided with an outstanding lug at each side of the split, in combination with a clamping sleeve fitted over the projecting lugs and so shaped with relation to the overall outer surface of the pair of lugs as to compress the lugs, thereby narrowing the width of the split between them and clamping the ring on the post, when the sleeve is turned to one position on the lugs, and permitting the o lugs to separate, thereby widening the split between them and loosening the ring on the post, when the sleeve is turned to another position. Preferably the ring is made of metal such as brass or bronze which is relatively resilient so that the expansion will be automatic when the sleeve is turned to releasing position, but this feature is not vital to the broad principles of the invention.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 designates a standard storage battery terminal post. As shown, such posts are commonly made of truncated conical shape. The numeral 2 designates the standard type of cable which is to be connected to the post I.

The numeral 3 designates generally the split ring element of the new combination, which is provided with a truncated conical opening 4 complemental to the shape of the post I so that the ring fits snugly on the post. Integral with the ring is a cable-fitting portion, in the present embodiment of the invention shown as a socket 5 projecting radially from one side of the ring for receiving the end of the cable 2 in a soldered, brazed, sweated, frictionally clamped, bolted or any other type of connection.

Another side of the ring, preferably the side diametrically opposite the cable-fitting socket 5, is provided with a split 6, and the material of the ring is integrally projected outwardly, in the direction of radii or chords, to provide a pair of lugs i, one on each side of the split 6. Each of these lugs has a substantially semi-cylindrical main inner portion 8 and preferably terminates at its free edge in a radially outstanding flange B. The portions 8 of the two lugs form a substantially completely cylindrical bearing surface when the lugs are pressed together and the split is substantially closed, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, but these surfaces expand or can be expanded, as shown in Fig. 5, to Widen the split 6 and make the overall shape of the surfaces 8 substantially elliptical.

Mounted on the lugs is an operating sleeve II] which is a closed, ring-like body, having a generally elliptical opening II and having a thickness or axial dimension small enough to fit on the surfaces 8 of the two lugs, which serve as a bearing for the sleeve as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The lengths of the major and minor axes of the elliptical opening I I relatively to each other and to the overall shape of the surfaces 8 when the lugs are in expanded or compressed condition is important. The relationship is such that the major axis, designated l2 in Fig. 6, is equal to the maximum width of the overall bearing surface of the pair of lugs when the lugs are expanded, while the minor axis I3 is approximately equal to, or only slightly greater than, the diameter of the substantially cylindrical body provided by the two surfaces 8 when the lugs are compressed.

The sleeve is applied for permanent mounting on the surfaces 8 by driving it forcibly over the flanges 9, and the proportions are so arranged that the fit over the flanges will be a tight one, making the sleeve permanently captive on the lugs. The sleeve is rotatable on the bearing surfaces 8 through an arc of 90 or preferably slightly less than 90. To facilitate rotation the sleeve may be provided with an outstanding boss M conveniently socketed as shown at l5 to receive a tool of any simple kind by which leverage can be exerted on the sleeve to turn it.

When the sleeve is positioned on the surfaces 8 with its major axis l2 at substantially a right angle to the plane of the split 6, the lugs are free to expand to widen the split and separate the lugs sov that the opening 4 of the ring 3 will be large enough to permit the ring to be slid down on to or up off of the post I. With the, ring seateddown on the post, as shown in Fig. 1, the sleeve may be rotated through or almost through 90 to swing its minor axis to 01' toward right angular relation to the plane of the split, thus narrowing the split and compressing the lugs together and clamping the ring on the post, as shown in Figs. 2. and 4.

As has been suggested, if the material of which the ring is made is relatively resilient, expansion will be automatic when permitted by the position of the sleeve. If however the material is not relatively resilient, the ring may easily be opened by pulling it from the post or by inserting the blade of a screw driver or the like in the split 6 to widen it.

The dimensions and relative proportions of the parts are unimportant except as hereinabove indicated.

It has been found in actual tests that the connector is very readily disengaged from the post even after a long period of application and is just as easily reapplied. Both of these operations can be performed manually by pushing the boss I4, or a simple tool inserted in the socket 15 or engaged with the boss I4 may be used to increase the turning force.

It will be recognized that both elements of the novel connector can be readily made by standard and simple fabricating operations and can be assembled without difiiculty to form a permanently connected combination which will achieve all the objects of the invention hereinabove set forth.

The invention is capable of being modified as to details, since not all of the details of the preferred construction disclosed in this application are essential. The essential details of the structure are defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A connector for clamping a cable to a battery terminal post comprising a ring having at one side a cable-fitting portion and having spaced therefrom a split defined by two lugs projecting laterally from the ring and each having a substantially semi-cylindrical portion adjacent to the ring and a radially outstanding flange on its free end, in combination with a clamping sleeve having a substantially elliptical opening disposed over the two substantially semi-cylindrical portions of the lugs and rotatable thereon, being held captive by the lug flanges, the major axis of said opening being greater than the major axis of the elliptical shape provided by the lugs when expanded over a terminal post and the minor axis of said opening being only slightly larger than the diameter of the lugs when com pressed together, whereby rotation of the sleeve through less than ninety degrees will compress the lugs and thereby reduce the size of the opening in the ring from a size which loosely fits the terminal post to a size which tightly clamps the pos DONALD VAN SQUIRES.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,859,545 Wallenberg May 24, 1932 1,896,988. Van Derhoof Feb. 7, 1933 21,196,717 Wright Apr. 9, 1940 2,204,387 Steenholdt June 11, 1940 

